Mapping the Fire Intensity Record for the United States (2000 through 2013)

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on August 8, 2013

This visualization displays the MODIS Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) Mean Fire Radiative Power (FRP). The CMG fire products incorporate MODIS active fire data into gridded statistical summaries of fire pixel information intended for use in regional and global modeling. The products are currently generated at 0.5 degree spatial resolution. Many of the lower intensity fires shown in red were prescribed fires, lit for either agricultural or ecosystem management purposes. Orange indicates fires that were more intense with the most intense FRP being shown in yellow. Most of these intense fires occurred in the western United States, where lightning and human activity often sparks blazes that firefighters cannot contain.

This visual shows the Mean Fire Radiative Power (FRP) from the MODIS Climate Modeling Grid fire products. Agricultural and prescribed fires are shown in dark red. More intense fires are shown in orange. Regions where the gridded statistical summaries show the most intense fires are shown in bright yellow.